Gauge



July 6 1926.

GAUGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 10. 1923 kk k k INVENTOR. Si Walter N. Fran/c MQMM' ATTORNEYS.

July 6 1926. 1,591,481

w. N. FRANK GAUGE Filed Sept. 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Shet z INVENTOR.

Walt er ffcw/n A TTORNEYS.

li'atented July 6, 1926.

'WALTEIB, N. FRANK, 0F DAYTON, 01 1' GOMPAN'Y, 0J3 DAYTON, C

'0, Al'sfi. GINOIR T0 'I'Hfljt (IlIHiOLAIN MANUFACTURING lilll, A, GDItIUIlATIOIN O]? DELAWARE.

GAUGE.

Application filed September 10, 19233.

My invention relates togauges, and par ticularly to gauges for indicating the quantity of gasoline in a fuel tank.

It is the object of my invention to provide a gauge which will indicate at a remote point the height of fluid in a tank.

In particular it is the object of my invention to provide such a gauge in which the flexible communicating means will al ways be under tensionyhut never under compression.

It is a further object to provide such a gauge in which there no direct and positive connection between the float and float arm and the mechanism directly attached to the communicating means.

It is an additional object to provide such a gauge in which the flexible communicate ing means will be actuated in substantially a straight line adjacent the tankend of the gauge equipment to prevent the flexing and bending of the communicating 'means when the float rises and falls.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a gauge in which the flexible medium is being constantly pulled against the resistance of the float, so that an accurate registration may be secured. at all positions of the float.

It is a further object to provide a gauge in which the sudden upward movements ol the float will not be commruiicated directly to the wire to compress it, thus avoiding kinking and bending of the wire or communicating means. The downward movements of the float are resisted by the yiehiling con-- nection holding the wire taut, so that the shock is cushionedv by the wire, and due to this yielding tension. on the wire it can not be kinked or bent.

It is a further object in such a case to permit of the wire being actuated with the float by manual movement of the wire dur ing installation before the ecp'lipment is finally attached in con'ipleted form, so that it can he (lOlGllTllllGdWVllOhllOl the float is actually worl'cin It is an object to provide such a feature in combination with a float arm which is not directly municatni means several on in view; the are as "lollo' i il. in it a! 21m al the sa nt attached. to the actuatingcoin Serial No 661.803.

plete equi nnent, oi the tank unit, the communicating means and guide, and the indicator head.

Figure is a front elevation of the indicator head.

Figure 3 is a section on the line S3 of Figure 4t, disclosing the gas loch at the tank end of the communicating means, together with the lever guiding and actuating the tank end of the connnunieating means.

Figure t is a section on the line H of Figure Figure 5 is a head.

Figure 8 is a section through the housing around the indicating means.

Figure r is a section through the housings and connector between the communicating means guide and theindicator head.

Figure 8 a plan view of the indicating drum partially cut away to show the ar rangenlent of the yielding means and the pulley to which the flexible communicating means is connected.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

l is a float pivotally carried on a float arm E3, 'Wl'llCl'l passes through an upstanding eye 3 on a float lever 4;. This arm 2, after passing through the eye 5?, extended down-- wardly and passes through the float lever 4; agaiiin at which point it has a head 5 turned over to prevent it from becoming detached from the float lever. 'lhis float lever has a pair of upstanding ears near one end, such ears being designated 6. The cars are provided with aperture-s through which passed a transverse l'iearing shaft 7 carried by the side arms of a U-shaped suspending bracket 8. The end oil the float lever l adjacent this pivotal support turned up forming a long shoulder 9, which engages with a wire lever 10, also pivoted on the shaft 7. Both the float lever and the wire lever are freely pivoted upon. the shaft 7, and are adapted to move independently of one another, save when the shoulder 9 comes in contact with the lever 10.

The upper free end of this lever provided. with an eye 11, to which is attached the flexible communicating wire 12. The lever travels in aslot 13 plate 141a is co. othcurwi f,

section through the indicator iniected lily ith a]. .1 .i ate la a v i l 1 U Li ible communicating means 12.

In'order to prevent theliquid in the-tank seeping out along" the wire,- due to the splashing of the liquid in the tank,- a gasoline lock or barrier is provided, consisting of an annular shoulder 28 broughtinto close engagement with the wire 12, having a minute aperture 24 through such barrier for th-paesageof the wire. This'opening is so fine,- and-fits so closely to the wirelQ, but

without'tfiction, that the gasoline in the tank can not "readily find it's way byi'the barrier and pass the wire. The passageway 25' within t-heprojection 19 is sr'itii'c ient'ly large to form a reservoir for any surplus gasoline which runs out of such opening due to the tilting of the base upoir which the gauge equipment is} mounted.

It? will be observed that the glllQllilgand protecting housing "for "the communicating means consists of an external heavily ribbed member 22 and an -internal ilinely wound protecting coveringj26. This externalcovering extends a-substantial 'portion of the length of thewire, Where-"it'is 'subje ct to the greatest abuse 7 and usage, terminating ati-ts forward end in a clamping collar 2'7. The internal guiding member or protecting covering 26 runs the full length of the wire urr'to -a pointadjacent" the indicator. At this-"point is found a sti ff brass tube 285011 one end of which isthreaded a c0lla r'29" having a threadedsplit projection 30' adaptedto ree'eivea collar 31 which engages it and the exterior-of the guiding housing 26. Proximate this point; the wire attached to chain 32, wh'ioh is conveyed: into i --the interior of the indicator housing and woundupon and attached 'to' a pullcy 38, t-he attachmentbeing atfi84:

' nunrerals on drum 41.

The tub'e 28 carries a collar 35, which attacfhes it to the threadedprojecti n 3",1 forming a part of theandicator housing Thisindioator housingconsists :of a' -shell' 37 mam glass front 38, having a: shield 395? with about-away portion; 49, to' disclose" the Thiswdrnm" is mounted-"on: a shaft 42,. which turns: freelyin -the bracket arms I 4?,- carriedon: *the' interior of thehousing 87; The pulley 33 isv attached to this drum; and turns with it; Located internally of the'druin is a plate l l; havingcstuds 0 one of which one end of a spring:46 is attached, the other end being attached to a 'stud l7 carried-onone of the arms 43. The helical spring 46 serves to exert a pulling action on the wire 12 attached-to the arm 10 which is actuated by the shoulder 9 upon the fall of the float 1.- In this way the arm 10 will be in routact with the shoulder 9 upon the descent of the gasoline and cause the upper part of the arm 10 to be moved to the right whereupon the wire 12 will also he moved to the right against the tension of the spring 416. But when the tank is being filled, or when there is a; suden surge of the fluid, the float will suddenly move upwardly ahead ol the arm 10 and the wire: Such movement ol -"thc float,= however, wilh not be connmmicated directly to' the wire-12 because the'arnr lfl is not secured to the float arm lnuwonly moved=thereliiy whenthe float arm descends. For this-reasonthe lever will be gradually moved by the spring 4-6, through the coun mmncating-means intwposition against the" shoulder 9.

The: indicator headiis attached to the dashboard ol an auton'iohile by the U-shaped clamp 48 and the attaching bolts lfi wvilh the-nuts 50.

It will also be observed that -at-the tank end of the unit the U shaped covering; 1. is

detachable by rcn'iovingthe screws 51 so that adjustments eanibe made-onthe lanlrend of the apparatus It will be understood that I desire to comprehend wit'hin my invention such modilications as may be fairly emln'aced within it, and as maybe foundnecessary in adapting it to various conditions in the art in the course 0'; the applicatioirof the invention.

Having :thus-fully described in invention,-.-what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a gauge equipment a tank, an indicator; awflexible comnnmicating meain; operatively connectcdto said indicator and extending-to a point adjacent'said ta'i'ilz, yieldingymeans mounted in saidindicator and adapted to move said comn'iunicating means and indicator in one direction, a wire; arm pivotally mounted in said tank and having; saidcommunicating means attached thereto atom of itsends, to guide said communicating means in substantially a ll-MlldOllllill path; a float lever andfloatin said tank,

said lever b ing pivoted adjacent s id wire armgimeans on at lever for-en; wrth said wire ll ll'l tomove 1t in one diretron l as the float descends, saidayieldn means tending to" move: said wire arm against said float lever con autl v, while maintaining said communzeatmg; means under tcnsion,-1'ne:ni to house the tank end of said communic trugu'ieaus. means extending from said housing means toprotect and 'guice said communicating means, and means in said extension means to prevent the exit of fluid through said housing from the tank, but to permit of the free passage of the communicating means there-- through. c c c 2, in a gauge equipment, a tank, an indicator, a flexible communicating means operatively connected to said indicator and extending to a point adjacent said tank, yielding means mounted in said indicator and adapted to move said communicating means and indicator in one direction, a wire arm. pivot-ally mounted in said tank and having said cmumunicating means attached thereto at one of its ends, to guide said wire in. substantially a horizontal path, a float lever and float mounted in said tank, said lever being pivoted adjacent said Wire arm, means on said float lever for engaging with said wire arm to move it in one direction as the float descends, said yielding means tending to move said wire arm against said float lever constantly, while maintaining said communicating means under tension, means to house the tank end of said communieating means, means extending from said housing means to guide and protect said communicating means, means located in said extension means to prevent the exit of fluid from the tank throu h said housing means, but to permit of the :tree passage of the communicating means therethrough, and means to guide and protect said communicating means from the extension means to the indicator.

3. In a gauge equipment, an indicator, a tank, a communicating means, means to guide and protect said communicating means, a combination housing and supporting bracket projecting into and supported by said tank and connected to said guiding and projecting means, one end of the communicating means extending into said housing, a wire arm pivoted on said bracket in said tank, having its free end extending into said housing, the free end of said arm being connected to one of said connecting means to guide the latter in a horizontal path, a float lever carrying a float mounted on the same pivot as the wire arm, but moving freely with respect thereto, a shoulder on said float lever for engaging with said wire arm, and yielding means mounted. in said indicator and adapted to move said communicating means in one direction against the downward movement of the float and float lever, and adapted to cause said wire arm to follow the movements of the float lever when it moves upwardly.

4. In a gauge equipment, an indicator, a tank, a communicating means, means to guide and protect said communicating means, a combination housing and supporting bracket projecting into and supported by said tank and connected to said guiding and projecting means, one end of the commun-icating means extending into said housing, a wire arm pivoted on said bracket in said tank, having its free end extending into said housing, the free end of said arm be connected to one end of said connec means to guide the latter in a horimnlal. path, a float lever cai'rying a float mounted on the same pivot as the wire arm, but mov-- ing lireely with. respect thereto, a shoulder on said float lever lor engaging with said wire arm, yielding means mounted in said indicator and, ada titcd to more said comiminicating means in one direction against the downvmrd movement of the float and float lever, and adapt d to cause said wire arm to follow the movements oi the float lever when it moves upwardly, and. means for preventing the exit of fluid from the tank through the housing, but permit-ting ot' the free passage of the conimiunicating means therethrough.

5. In a gauge equipment, an indicator, a tank, a communicating means, means to guide and protect said communicating means, a combination housing and supporting bracket projecting into and supported by said tank and connected to said guiding and projecting means, one end of the communicating means extending into said housing, a wire arm pivoted on said. bracket in. said tank, having its free end extending into said housing, the free end oil said. arm being connected to one end 01' said connecting means to guide the latter in a horizontal path, a float lever carrying a float mounted on the same pivot as the wire arm, but moving freely with respect thereto, a shoulder on said float lever for engaging with said wire arm, yielding means mounted in said indicator and adapted to move said co1nmunicating means in one direction against the downward movement of the float and. float lever, and adajiited to cause said wire arm to lfollow the movements oi: the float lever when it moves upwardly, means for preventing the exit of fluid from the tank through the housing, but permitting of the tree passage ot the communicating means theretlirouglti, and a rigid guiding means connected to said indicato" and to said guiding and protecting means adj accnt the com municating means.

6. In a gauge equipment, a tank unit consisting of a plate, a depending U-shaped bracket, a cut-away portion of said plate adjacent the mouth of said bracket, a trans verse shaft carried by the arms O'f' said bracket, a float lever, ears on said float lever for freely suspending said lever on said. shatt, an upwardly extending shoulder on said float lever, a wire lever freely mounted. on said shaft, adapted to engage with said shoulder, a float arm and float connected to said float lever, an eye in said. float lever through which. said float arm may be p and to the jectedand turned over t tan 'd 1g mount" float lever, and a det bracket, a a t-away portion-of said plate ad-.

jacent the mouth of said bracket, a transverse shaft carried by the arms of said bl'fiCl-IOC,R float lever ears on said float lever for freely suspending said 'leverxon saidshaft, anupwardly extending shoulder on said float lever, a Wire lever freely mounted on said shaftg adapted to engage with. said sl10ulder,: aafloat arm-aand float connected to said float lever, an eye in said float lever through which said float arm may be proeeted and turned over and fastened to the float-lever, a detachable housing mounted on said plate above the free end of said Wire lever, and means mounted at one end of said I housing to permit the passage of a wire and to connect a casing to said housing for said Wire, and means insaid casing for preventing the escape of liquid therethrough.

In testimony whereof I ailix my slgnatu re.

WALTER N. FRANK. 

